


A Knight’s Nightmare

by SeleneMoon



Category: Knight & Rogue - Hilari Bell
Genre: Gen, Nightmares, Scholar's Plot, character death (sorta)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:22:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3611598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeleneMoon/pseuds/SeleneMoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Twas only in the nightmares that I arrived too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Knight’s Nightmare

I rode into town casually. It had been a nice day. A long ride with a cheap, semi-clean inn at the end. ‘Twas one of those days that made one forget about erstwhile squires, and instead focus on the scenery and laughing at True treeing one squirrel after another. I passed several groups of people that seemed to be the stragglers from some gathering at the town square. 

“It’s a shame.” An older woman said mournfully. “He was a fine looking lad.” Her companion shook his head balefully. 

“He should have gotten off or at least been unredeemed. The boy was a hero.” The old man sighed. A much younger man snorted behind them.

“You’re both fools.” He snapped. “He may have killed Master Potter to protect Mistress Potter, but he wouldn’t have had to protect her in the first place if he hadn’t conned her into helping him steal her husband’s savings.” The young man nodded smartly. “The fact that Master Potter died during the commission of the crime made it murder, pure and simple.” 

“Maybe so, but if anyone in town deserved being conned or murdered it was Master Potter.” The woman commented. “Besides, that young man could have escaped if he had left Mistress Potter to her husband’s mercy.” She shook her head sadly. “As I said, it’s a right shame.” 

I had slowed considerably to listen to their conversation. “What exactly happened?” I asked curiously. It sounded as if some injustice had been done here. Perhaps I could offer some assistance, though I had been able to do significantly less since I lost Fisk. 

The elderly man fixed me with a penetrating gaze that seemed to make my heart grow still with fear. “A tragedy.” He said solemnly. The woman glanced back towards the square. “A wretched tragedy, my boy.” Then he turned and walked away, the other two trailing after him. I turned the other direction. My body seemed to grow heavy with dread, but I urged Chant towards the square. 

True’s ears lifted. The dog ran ahead, his jaws opening and closing in a rasping, but otherwise noiseless bark. I signaled Chant to follow him, picking up his pace despite my overwhelming premonition of dread. As I turned the corner, I saw a body hanging from the gallows. It swayed and turned in a wind. My breath caught. My shoulders shook but I didn’t know why. True sat before the gallows, his mouth open in a mute howl. 

I slid off Chant, and my knees nearly buckled beneath me. _No…_ The body twisted in the wind, the neck bent at an odd angle. _NO!_ Fisk’s once alert eyes stared blankly ahead, unfocused and glassy. Chant bugled; his neigh echoing farther than it should have, as if announcing the death of a friend to the world. The beam above Fisk creaked ominously. I made it a few steps before my knees gave way beside the still soundlessly howling True. I stared up at my squire, my friend. Then I opened my mouth and began to scream. 

I jerked awake. It was suddenly dark. Why was it dark? Where was Fisk’s body? I had to do something. What did I have to do? Give him a proper burial? Avenge his death? My entire body was shaking. There were covers around me, tangled about my legs. I shoved them off, and realized I was sitting up in my bedroll. The barest sliver of the Green Moon hung just above the horizon. 

A dream. I slumped in relief. 'Twas just a dream. 

I was still shaking. My breathing was unsteady. True walked over to me, concerned. He gently licked my face. I put my hand up to wipe my cheek and it came away wet. I couldn’t be sure if it was because of True’s comforting or because I had been actually crying. My hand was trembling. I reached out and hugged True, pulling him close to me. I breathed deeply. Fisk was fine. Wherever he was. He was smart and cared enough about his own skin to keep himself safer than I ever could… Unless he had gotten himself involved with the wrong sort of people. Unless he had conned the wrong man. Unless he went back to his criminal ways. 

I hugged True tighter. And tried to reassure myself that my squire was fine. I tried to convince myself that, wherever he was, Fisk was safe.


End file.
